Patent EA-005113-B1 (EA)
Title: Gelling agent composition and use thereof
Inventor: HOEY MICHAEL D
IPC: C09K8/506
Filed: 2001-04-20
Abstract: 1. A gelling agent composition which comprises at least one glycol as a solvent, and at least one amidoamine oxide gelling agent of general formula (I) wherein R1 is a saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched chain aliphatic group of from about 7 to about 30 carbon atoms, R2 is a straight or branched chain, saturated or unsaturated divalent alkylene group of from 2 to about 6 carbon atoms, R3 and R4 are the same or different and are alkyl or hydroxyalkyl of from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, or R3 and R4 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are bonded form a heterocyclic ring of up to 6 members, and R5 is hydrogen or a alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group of from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, wherein said gelling agent composition contains less than about 10% free fatty acid. 2. The gelling agent composition of claim 1 which contains from about 2-10% free amine. 3. The gelling agent composition of claim 1 wherein R1 is an aliphatic group of from about 15 to about 21 carbon atoms, and R2 is an alkylene group of from about 2 to about 4 carbon atom. 4. The gelling agent composition of claim 1 wherein R1 is an aliphatic group derived from natural fats and oils having an iodine value of from about 1 to about140, and R2 is an alkylene group having 3 carbon atoms. 5. The gelling agent composition of claim 1 wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of tallow alkyl, hardened tallow alkyl, rapeseed alkyl, hardened rapeseed alkyl, tall oil alkyl, hardened tall oil alkyl, coco alkyl, stearyl, oleyl and soya alkyl, R2 is an alkylene group having three carbon atoms, and R3 and R4 are each methyl. 6. The gelling agent composition of claim 1 wherein R3 and R4 together with the amine nitrogen to which they are bonded form a heterocyclic group having a 5-member ring derived from pyrrolidine. 7. The gelling agent composition of claim 1 wherein R3 and R4 together with the amine nitrogen to which they are bonded form a heterocyclic group having a 6-member ring derived from piperidine. 8. The gelling agent composition of claim 1 wherein R3 and R4 together with the amine nitrogen to which they are bonded form a heterocyclic group having a 6-member ring derived from morpholine. 9. The gelling agent composition of claim 1 wherein said at least one glycol solvent is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, butylene glycols, diethylene glycol, propylene glycols, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, glycerin, tetramethylene glycol, tetramethylethylene glycol, trimethylene glycol and mixtures thereof. 10. The gelling agent composition of claim 1 wherein said amidoamine oxide is selected from the group consisting of tallow amidoalkylamine oxide, hardened tallow amidoalkylamine oxide, rapeseed amidoalkylamine oxide, hardened rapeseed amidoalkylamine oxide, tall oil amidoalkylamine oxide, hardened tall oil amidoalkylamine oxide, coco amidoalkylamine oxide, stearyl amidoalkylamine oxide, oleyl amidoalkylamine oxide, soya amidoalkylamine oxide, and mixtures thereof. 11. The gelling agent composition of claim 1 wherein said amidoamine oxide is selected from the group consisting of tallowamidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, hydrogenated tallowamidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, soya amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, oleylamidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, erucyl amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, rapeseed amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, hydrogenated rapeseed amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, tall oil amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, hydrogenated tall oil amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, C14-C22 saturated or unsaturated fatty acid amidopropyl dimethylamine oxides, and mixtures thereof. 12. The gelling agent composition of claim 1 wherein said amidoamine oxide is selected from the group consisting of tallowamidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, hydrogenated tallowamidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, soya amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, oleyl amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, erucyl amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, rapeseed amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, hydrogenated rapeseedamidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, tall oil amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, hydrogenated tall oil amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, C14-C22 saturated or unsaturated fatty acid amidopropyl dimethylamine oxides, and mixtures thereof, and said glycol is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, butylene glycols, diethylene glycol, propylene glycols, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, glycerin,tetramethylene glycol, tetramethylethylene glycol, trimethylene glycol and mixtures thereof. 13. An aqueous viscoelastic composition comprising the gelling agent composition of claim 1. 14. The composition of claim 13 comprising from about 0.5% to about 10% by weight of the gelling agent composition. 15. The composition of claim 14 comprising from about 2% to about 8% by weight of said gelling agent composition. 16. A method for controlling the rheology of an aqueous system comprising: a) providing a gelling agent composition comprising one or more amidoamine oxide gelling agents of the general formula(I) wherein R1 is a saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched chain aliphatic group of from about 7 to about 30 carbon atoms, R2 is a saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted divalent alkylene group of from 2 to about 6 carbon atoms, R3 and R4 are the same or different and are alkyl or hydroxyalkyl of from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, or R3 and R4 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are bonded form a heterocyclic ring of up to 6 members, and Rs is hydrogen or a alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group of from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, wherein said amidoamine oxide is in a glycol solvent and contains less than about 10% free fatty acid, and b) adding said gelling agent composition to an aqueous fluid in an amount effective to form a viscoelastic composition. 17. The method of claim 16 wherein said gelling agent composition contains from about 2 to about 10% free amine. 18. The method of claim 16 wherein R1 is an aliphatic group of from about 15 to about 21 carbon atoms, and R2 is an alkylene group of from about 2 to about 4 carbon atoms. 19. The method of claim 16 wherein R1 is an aliphatic group derived from natural fats and oils having an iodine value of from about 10 to about 100, and R2 is an alkylene group having 3 carbon atoms. 20. The method of claim 16 wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of tallow alkyl, hardened tallow alkyl, rapeseed alkyl, hardened rapeseed alkyl, tall oil alkyl, hardened tall oil alkyl, coco alkyl, stearyl, oleyl and soya alkyl, R2 is an alkylene group having three carbon atoms, and R3 and R4 are each methyl. 21. The method of claim 16 wherein R3 and R4 together with the amine nitrogen to which they are bonded form a heterocyclic group having a 5-member ring derived from pyrrolidine. 22. The method of claim 16 wherein R3 and R4 together with the amine nitrogen to which they are bonded form a heterocyclic group having a 6-member ring derived from piperidine. 23. The method of claim 16 wherein R3 and R4 together with the amine nitrogen to which they are bonded form a heterocyclic group having a 6-member ring derived from morpholine. 24. The method of claim 16 wherein the gelling agent is present in the aqueous fluid at a concentration of from about 0.5% to about 10% by weight. 25. The method of claim 24 wherein the gelling agent is present in the aqueous fluid at a concentration of from about 2% to about 8% by weight. 26. A method for making the amidoamine oxide gelling agent composition of claim 1 which comprises dissolving a tertiary amidoamine of general formula (II) in a glycol solvent wherein R1 is a saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched chain aliphatic group of from about 7 to about 30 carbon atoms, R2 is a divalent alkylene group of from 2 to about 6 carbon atoms, R3 and R4 are the same or different and are alkyl or hydroxyalkyl of from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, or R3 and R4 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are bonded form a heterocyclic ring of up to 6 members followed by reaction with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of an oxidation catalyst, wherein the reaction temperature is maintained at less than about 70 degree C. 27. The method of claim 26 wherein said oxidation catalyst is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, a carbonate salt, a bicarbonate salt and mixtures thereof. 28. A method of fracturing a subterranean formation comprising the step of pumping an aqueous viscoelastic composition through a wellbore and into a subterranean formation at a pressure sufficient to fracture the formation, wherein said aqueous viscoelastic composition is the composition of claim 13. 29. A drilling fluid, completion fluid, or workover fluid comprising the gelling agent composition of claim 1. 30. The composition of claim 1 further comprising at least one sequesterant. 31. The composition of claim 30 wherein said sequesterant is a phosphonate salt. 32. The method of claim 16 further comprising at least one sequesterant. 33. The method of claim 32 wherein said sequesterant is a phosphonate salt. 34. The method of claim 26 wherein said composition further comprises a sequesterant. 35. An aqueous acid gelling composition comprising at least acid and the gelling agent composition of claim 1. 36. Stimulating liquid comprising the composition of claim 13. 37. Disintegrating liquid comprising the composition of claim 13. 38. Disintegrating liquid comprising the composition of claim 35.